Before Next Christmas
by Cerridwen-Maiden
Summary: By this time next year, they'd tell each other. They'll summon the courage and just blurt it out if they have to. But before then... They'll just enjoy a simple walk in the park together.


Spin. Stop. Spin. Stop. Spin-A small hand slammed down on the cell phone, startling Angelica out of her zoned out state. "Huh?" She blinked slowly, letting herself come back to earth."Kristy? What-"

"You've been playing with that since I got in here," her cousin interrupted, a rare crease between her eyebrows. She pulled away, removing the obnoxious orange mitten from her hand. Angelica crinkled her nose at the thing before focusing on the blond's words. "-and staring into space. What's wrong with you?"

Angelica rolled her eyes, slipping her cell into her pocket. "That's such a sweet way of asking if I'm alright. And yes, I am. Thanks for asking."

"Then why the long face?"

"Oh, it's nothing... Just told my mom I'm not going back to Texas for Christmas."

Kristina's eyes widen in mock horror, placing a delicate hand on her lips. "And you're still _alive?_ Heck, I was so sure she'd force her way through the phone just to drag you by your hair all the way back."

Angelica shifted in her seat, rubbing her arm. "Well, it was either spend a fortune flying back and leave m'daddy all alone on Christmas. Or just stay here and let her feel superior for awhile. Of course she was 'okay' with it. Besides... I-I wanted to spend Christmas with-" She bit her lip, stopping herself. Only for her cheeks to warm when her cousin glanced at her with a smug, knowing look.

"Speaking of the boys, where are they? I'm usually tackled by the doofus by now." Was it just her, or did she hear a bit of disappointment in Kristina's voice?

"Training... Splinter suggested I stay out here for a bit. Something about distracting and competition or something." Angelica shrugged. As much as she loved watching Leonardo train-he was just so graceful and powerful and(stop that right now!)- she couldn't stop herself from wincing each time he or his brothers got hit.

Kristina nodded in acceptance before leaning forward, eyes glinting mischievously. "Sooo... Since you're stuck here in New York for one of the most _romantic_ of holidays-"

"Since when is Christmas supposed to be romantic?" Angelica cut in quickly, her eyes growing wide. Where was she going with this? _Where was she going with this?!_

"Since the movie where Santa has to get married or else he loses the magic and all the little boys and girls childhood happiness depends on him winning over the one woman who hates Christmas."

Angelica paused before opening her mouth.. "Which one?"

"I dunno. There's a ton of them like that. _Anyway._ This will be yours and Leo's first Christmas as-"

"Friends! First Christmas as _friends_" The redhead said firmly, shaking her head as if to wave away any more ridiculous words that could sprout from Kristina's lips.

Kristina snorted, sounding a lot like a particular red-clad turtle. "Yeah. Sure. Okay. So, as your first Christmas-as 'friends'-you should do something special with him!"

"Oh, yes. Because I can do _so_ much with my giant turtle bo-er, friend. Especially since his three equally giant-sized brothers are bound to follow."

"Now that's not true and you know it. Mikey is small and adorable. Like me." Kristina smirked at her cousin's exasperated look. "Look, just leave them to me. I'll wave something boring in front of Don and he'll be occupied for hours. Then I'll throw a piece of pizza between Raph and Mikey. That'll distract them long enough for you and Leo to make your daring escape!"

"You make it sound like some tragic love story..."

"A comedy," Kristina corrected matter of factly before adding. "With a little painfully awkward, tragic love, mixed in here and there. C'mon, just do it!"

"Do what?" A voice asked before Angelica could protest once again, making both girls squeak in unison.

Kristina grumbled under her breath, "Ninjas..." Before promptly staring at the turtle, along with Angelica.

Leonardo shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew he shouldn't have walked in without his mask. It had become an unspoken rule among his brothers that they should just keep them on whenever someone was around, because people acted so _weird_. Even Angelica was looking at him with an expression he couldn't interpret! But the blue piece of cloth was so soaked with sweat he couldn't bear to wear it another second.

He cleared his throat, deciding to pretend they were acting normal. "Do what?" He repeated, eyeing Kristina with an almost suspicious look. She was like a clever, shameless, female version of Mikey. Whatever she was trying to get Angelica to do couldn't be good. And since she was such a sweet girl, Angelica would eventually end up doing it. If he could save her from it, he'd at least try.

Angelica found herself unable to respond, wondering if her cheeks were as red as her hair. "Um-"

"Oh, Leo! It's terrible." Kristy wrapped her arms around her cousin, looking a little silly since she was several inches shorter. "Angie here is so down... Her mom refuses to pay for a plane ticket and she has to spend Christmas away from her family!"

"Kristy!" Angelica gasped in disbelief. How could she twist the truth and make her sound like such a victim? She couldn't-oh, no. Leo's eyes were starting to darken with a sympathy she not only didn't deserve, but didn't want! "Don't believe her, Leo. I _chose_ to stay here for the holidays."

"But..." Leonardo hesitated. Angelica had been talking for weeks about old family traditions on her mother's side of the family. And while he'd miss her-he could finally admit that to himself without turning warm-he liked the way she lit up whenever she mentioned some family member doing a goofy thing, or a certain dish she was looking forward to. "You were really looking forward to it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"O-Of course!" The teen had to look away, her heart skipping a beat. Honestly. She couldn't even handle his look of concern(over her, she mentally squealed). What made Kristina think that she could handle a romantic evening? "I'm still with family and there's you-uuu and Splinter and the boys!" Angelica stammered out.

Kristina pinched the bridge of her nose. .Awkward. She breathed out slowly. "She's just being strong for others, Nardo." She easily ignored the small glare at the nickname. "You know what I think will cheer her up? A nice walk in the park."

"How will that-"

"Because it will friggin' clear her mind, that's why!" The tiny blond snapped, annoyed at them. The things she had to go through just for these two to get over their idiotic shyness! She was such a frickin' saint. They had better name something after her once they get together.

Angelica pushed her away, standing up from the table. "Leo, you don't have-"

"Alright. I'll do it."

"What?"

"Seriously?"

Leo had to give himself some credit. He was doing a remarkably good job at acting smooth and nonchalant at the moment. Maybe because he didn't want to lose this chance, plus the added confidence that his brothers weren't in the room to tease him. The surprised looks-and the small blush he could see on Angelica's cheeks- actually brought a small smirk to the young leader's lips. "Yeah, sure. I could use some fresh air myself. Just let me get cleaned up. I'll be right out."

Angelica waited until he left the room before she whirled around, gripping her cousin's shoulders. "What did you do?!"

"Uh, I just hooked you up. Name the baby after me, okay? You know, if it's even possible for reproduction."

"W-We're not going to have-"Angelica had to force that thought down, else she froze up. "You tricked him! I don't want-"

"Please. It's Leo. I mean, I was so obvious even Mikey would have noticed. He wants to go out with you, Angie," Kristy said slowly, as if talking to a child. "C'mon, don't freak out. It's late, no one will see him. And you guys usually talk a lot easier when no one is around, right? Pretty sweet first date if you ask me."

Angelica very much wanted to tell her that she hadn't asked her anything about that, but realized there would be no use. "It's not a d-date. He's just-"

"Please, save the bullcrap. I'm helping you get a boyfriend, be grateful."

With a tiny groan of embarrassment, Angelica sat back down at the table in defeat. "...Why don't you do this with Mikey instead of making me do it?" she finally asked in a sulky voice.

Kristina smirked in amusement as she rolled her eyes. "I'm not making you and you know it. Besides. I'm busy enough as it is training Mikey not to eat disgusting things. I'll teach him other boyfriend material later."

"'Training' you say... You make it sound like he's a pet."

"Well, if he's going to act like a naughty-"

"Aaaah can't hear you! No, no, no!" Angelica covered her ears quickly, shaking her head from side to side.

Kristina cracked up at her reaction. She hadn't even meant it as a dirty thing, and Angelica had automatically assumed it was. And Angelica thought that SHE was the pervert. It was always the quiet ones... Her laughter died in her throat as she caught sight of Leo, feeling like her eyes would pop out of her head. "Hoooly shi-"

"What? What is it?" Angelica lowered her hands slowly and turned, only to freeze, heart leaping to her throat. "L-Leo?" She choked out. "What are you... You're wearing clothes?"

Leo paused, blinking at them in confusion as he pulled a knitted hat over his head, completing the outfit of a pair of heat-trapping pants, a simple white shirt, leather jacket and blue scarf. "Uh... Yeah? It's freezing out there. Cold-blooded, remember?" What was with them? Sure, he felt a little awkward, but that was only because he wasn't used to material covering his body. He hoped it didn't slow him down. "Does it look weird or-"

"Good!" Angelica blurted out. "You look really-I m-mean, your clothes-outfit-uh. It's nice," she finally finished, her smile a little too big to be normal as she tried to get herself back to a normal, non-weird state.

"It's like lingerie!"

Leo and Angelica paused-as if wondering what they just heard was actually said-and turned in one, slow movement in Kristina's direction. "...What?"

Kristina flung her arms out, gesturing wildly at Leo. "Well, LOOK at you! I mean, let's face it. You don't leave much to the imagination usually. But now... It's like a dress tease!"

Angelica was simply too shocked and horrified to get irritated at how Kristy was looking at Leo. "A dress...what?" she asked in a small, weak voice. Leo was still in a state of-well, she couldn't look at him at the moment, but she could tell he was as far as comfortable as possible.

"It can't be a strip tease because we already see them naked! So it's like, the total opposite of that!" Kristina exclaimed excitedly. "Oh gosh, I can't believe I never thought of this before-MIKEY! We're going shopping right now!"

Her cousin stared as she disappeared down the hallway, hearing a faint, confused, 'What?' before glancing at the turtle at her side. He was looking at his clothes in a mixture of confusion, embarrassment, and a little...pleased? His blue eyes caught her green, and he cleared his throat. "So! Uh... That was... Yeah. Let's go. I mean, if you want."

"...Y-Yeah." Angelica shrugged her own jacket on, flipping her hair over her shoulder to avoid it getting caught in the zipper. Leonardo waited patiently, stepping beside her as they left the lair without a second thought. She tried to hide the small smile that appeared whenever he did that. He remembered that the long, dark tunnels made her uneasy...

_He's such a sweet guy..._She thought, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips. Leo's eyes flicked towards her at the sound before looking away. She did that so often he assumed it was just natural. Angelica didn't even notice, once again zoning out. This time under happy circumstances. _Maybe there will be mistletoe... Or, or! I might get so cold and he'd try to warm me up by hugging me close and-_ Nevermind the fact that it was more likely that she'd be the one warming him up. She was so distracted by her fantasies that she almost screamed when Leo's hand touched her shoulder.

"Angie? Uh, we're here... I think this one is closest to the park."

"Oh! Right. What a quick walk that was, huh?"

Leo simply smiled and climbed the ladder ahead of her, the only one strong enough to lift the manhole cover. He peeked around and pushed himself up only when the coast was clear, waving at her to join him. Despite knowing she was safe, the teen still scurried up the ladder as fast as she could. Those Squirrelanoids were _down_ there.

Oh, right. They were alone now.

It amazed Angelica how, with time, being alone with Leo had grown easier, yet harder as well. Before it was awkward because he was like nothing she had ever seen before. A creature with green scales and a hard shell. Sometimes his skin would brush against hers and it felt so _different_ that at first, it made her flinch away.

And now she fought to breathe evenly whenever he stood just a little too close. Each little glance made her stomach do a funny little flip. And a silly, uncontrollable smile would appear whenever she talked to him over the phone.

Angelica pictured a mini-Kristy in her head, looking triumph and saying, 'I KNEW you had it bad.'

She had to tell him. She HAD to. If only to stop herself from going crazy. Even... Even if he didn't feel the same way. She had to know where she stood with him. Worst case scenario, it get's a little awkward for awhile. She hoped that was the worst thing that could happen, anyway.

"Angie?" The redhead snapped to attention, mentally scolding herself for her lack of focus yet again. Leo was staring at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay? You're... Spacing out a lot. More than usual, anyway." He tried to sound playful, despite the worry starting to nag at him.

She chewed on her bottom lip, guilt poking at her. Geez. Just because she had the emotional state of cliche teenage girl doesn't mean she should worry him! What was she thinking, telling him now? She could ruin his whole holiday!

No, no. Telling him right before the holiday was no good. Definitely no good. But if she didn't think she could go much longer like this. She'd give herself a time limit. Yeah, that was good. A time limit.

Before this time, next year, she would tell him.

Angelica smiled. "Yeah! Really, Leo. I just had some stuff to think about is all. It's gonna be my first Christmas here, you know."

"Really? You've_never_ had a Christmas outside of Texas?"

"Nope," Angelica confirmed, popping the 'p' at the end. She gave him a teasing, superior look, feeling more at ease by the second. "Haven't I told you? Texas is waaay better than your fancy New York. We've got better food, better activities-"

"That so?" Leo's smirk matched hers as he bumped his shoulder gently against hers. "I hear y'all are real big on them road-killin's, yes ma'am," he said in a southern drawl, tipping an imaginary cowboy hat.

Angelica huffed dramatically, slapping his arm while fighting back a giggle. If there was one thing she would openly complain about, it was how the rest of the world seemed to view her beloved state. "Leo, that accent was just horrible!" she snorted, her body shaking with silent laughter. "But if you want to make fun... What happened in that last episode of Space Heroes again?"

Leo instantly quieted down, an exaggerated somber expression appearing. "Angelica, you know not to mess with Captain Ryan."

"And you know better than to mess with Texas."

"Truce?"

"Truce." Angelica and Leo stared at each other with matching serious frowns before goofy grins cracked through and they began walking again. "I have to admit, there's only one thing I like better about winter here than I do in Texas."

"Oh? What's that?"

"The _snow_. It rarely snows back home... We normally just get sleet. And believe me, it isn't easy making a snowman out of ice," the ginger said with a small pout. She kicked a small pile of snow. "It's just so fluffy here!"

"...You want to make a snowman now?" The turtle asked, a grin still tugging at his lips. He could really picture a small, redheaded girl trying to force ice to bend to her will.

Angelica paused in mid-step before looking at him, her eyes shining with a child-like eagerness. "Really? I mean, I'd love too! But not if the cold will bother you. I don't want you to do...whatever it is that reptiles do when they get too cold. But I've always wanted to make a giant sized snowman and-"

Leo puffed his chest out ever so slightly. If she wanted to make a snowman, they were going to make a snowman. "Cold? Please. I'm a fearsome ninja warrior. What's a little cold to me? We'll make the biggest one and show it off to the others and they will be SO jealous because they can't make a snowman as awesome as we can."

Barely containing the happy squeal, Angelica clasped her hands together. "Yay! Oh, this is going to be fun! Okay, where to start...? The bottom! I'll start rolling!" She turned on her heel and all but dove into the large piles of white, undisturbed snow.

Leo's amused grin softened into a fond smile as he watched her work. She was just so... Innocent and _cute_, all covered in the snow, so determined. The mutant used to wonder if his crush on her formed only because she was one of very few humans who accepted him, accepted his family. But as he got to know her... He believed that that wasn't the case.

She was terrible at hiding her emotions-and he liked that. He didn't have to always second-guess himself when he was with her, because she always showed how she felt. She wasn't physically strong, but there was a certain strength in her that he admired, the kind where she still refused to be mean to someone even when they had been cruel first. And it was true that Angelica knew next to nothing about martial arts, but she still listened to him ramble on about it, even looking interested.

And that was probably the most important thing. She listened. And she didn't do it out of obligation, but because she knew he needed it. It made his heart squeeze a little, just thinking about the way she'd nod at something serious, brows furrowed, or laugh at one of his corny jokes, eyes lit up happily.

Maybe, by next Christmas, when their confidence had grown and their shyness had died, one of them would admit how they felt. He really hoped it was him. It would be one of the hardest tests of bravery he'd have to go through, and he wanted to prove to himself he could do it.

"Leo! What do you think about this?"

...Well, he didn't have to prove it right _now_. But definitely, definitely, before next Christmas.

* * *

My friend gave me a little challenge. She drew a picture, and I'd write a story to it. She surprised me with my own character! I was so happy. XD Sooo... This is the story. The picture is drawn by the awesome FoxyLady300 on DA. Her art is really great! You'll have to go there if you want to see the complete picture. Leo looks adorable in it!

Angelica and Kristina are really my roleplay characters. I'd never had to actually write Leo before, so... It felt a little awkward. But oh well! Picture of both can be found on my DA Account under my username: TexasHeat

Hope you enjoyed it!


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